Decoration Day

James Garner made a bit of a cottage industry out of appearing in Hallmark Hall of Fame TV-movies. Hallmark productions were always noted for their high quality and portrayal of solid community values.

In "Decoration Day" Garner plays a retired Southern judge who is somewhat of a recluse. He is pulled back into the community when a young man gets into trouble, Garner finds a new chance to connect with an interesting woman, and he has to persuade a childhood friend to reconsider his refusal to accept a belated Medal of Honor.

Bill Cobbs plays Gee, Garner's childhood friend and a tenant farmer who has had to deal with racial injustice all of his life while his educated white friend Garner has had a much easier and successful path. Both men served in WWII, Gee in a segregated Negro unit. When the Army determines that Gee should receive the Medal of Honor the community is disrupted and people have to re-examine racial attitudes when Gee refuses to accept this most prestigious honor.

As you'd expect in a Hallmark production, the topics are dealt with in a quiet, responsible, non-histrionic way. Garner and the cast all deliver.

I love this movie and it took a lot for the man to decline the Medal of Honor and why he did it. Everyone should view this movie they could learn from it. Hallmark Hall of Fame's sensitive exploration of friendship, racism and the impact of war on its survivors, DECORATION DAY is set in Georgia. Yes I recommend it. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 3/25/2021.

One of those quiet movies that leave a deep impression. Garner is good, as always, and the supporting cast seem just perfect for their roles. It has a similar atmosphere to FIRST MONDAY IN OCTOBER with Walter Mathau. A feel good movie, and well worth seeing more than once.

This is one of those quiet movies, where nothing exciting or outlandish happens, and nobody's life is in ruins but it is all the better for it. One of the things I enjoy about James Garner is that he tends not to be in the movies that are all hot air and explosions. The layers of this story are slowly peeled back as the characters grow on the viewer until the viewer finds that they really care! It's well executed, beautifully and with simplicity and it all feels real. I don't care about how scenes are concocted or faked, the end result is a work of beauty and art, and I'm delighted to have had the chance to see it again. Real life is not a blockbuster, and this film captures the genuine friendship that exists between the people and we feel it. wonderful.

This movie tells two very moving stories with care and sensitivity. Everyone in the cast plays their roles the way they were meant to be played. No one steals the show; instead they work together to create a movie to be remembered.